Caller service facilities have historically been used to allow users to accomplish many tasks. Mail order purchases, customer technical support, and banking services are just a few examples of the list of services offered through caller service facilities. A caller service facility can be completely staffed by operators who answer all of the incoming calls, or the caller service facility could incorporate call handling technology such as an interactive voice response (IVR) system. A caller service facility having an IVR system can be set up to perform many functions, but, in summary, the caller service facility can answer incoming calls and the IVR may, through the use of an automated menu, either address the callers reason for calling, or determine the proper operator to direct the call to. IVR systems can utilize dual-tone multiple frequency (DTMF) menu responses, or could incorporate voice recognition technology such that a user speaks their responses to the menu options.
Various methods have been utilized for scheduling reminders to be delivered in the future. Personal assistants or secretaries could record appointments and provide alerts of the pending appointments. Software based scheduling tools, such as Microsoft Corporation's Outlook™ program, allow users to schedule appointments and receive reminders with event details on computers running the program. Additionally, Hotel answering services have allowed guests to schedule wake up calls for particular times. Such systems are limited in the manner in which reminders can be scheduled, the management of the content of the reminder message, and available methods of communication of the reminder.